The Pretty Person In The Pumpkin Patch
by Parody-lover
Summary: Forth in TDI Murder Series. When the latest victim encountered is the young daughter of an old TDI contestant, Bridgette and Geoff are forced to face old team mates, reopen past memories and delve into the world of beauty pageants
1. Chapter 1

The Pretty Person In The Pumpkin Patch

AN: Yes it's the next installment in Murder Series! I know its been a while but I had an overload of school work and exams and a lot of procrastination. Hopefully I'll manage to update regularly, and I've been thinking on writing my own book/film script/TV series. I would try to do a graphic novel but I can't draw for the life of me.

Disclaimer: It's not mine, m'kay?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Ch.1 Growing Pains

"I thought there would be pumpkins in a pumpkin patch," Special Agent Geoff Murdock of the FBI stated as he trudged along the soft soil of Phillips Pharms Pumpkin Patch.

"It's not pumpkin season yet…it's spring," his partner, forensic anthropologist Dr. Bridgette Dodson replied with a furrowed brow as she moved along, her kit in hand. Following close to her was pudgy Peyton O'Riley, crime scene investigator.

They reached the taped off sector of the barren patch where the crime technicians were already crowding around. Among them, was Perry Phillips, owner of the patch, who seemed to have tried to make a fashion style where farm meets business suits successfully…and failed.

"I'm telling you no way in a hundred years would I think that they'll be bodies shooting up here, prize winning pumpkins sure, but definitely no dead bodies."

"And just who are you?"

Perry pulled the straps of his overalls (which were underneath a black suit) and let go, making a snap sound. "Perry Phillips, I own Phillips Pharms Inc. Like the name? Instead of farm we have pharm?" He smiled, hoping people would laugh at his idea of sheer brilliance. Bridgette merely blinked once, although Geoff was much more enthusiastic.

"Oh, I get it! Like how you say fat, but with a ph? Cool…"

"See, he gets it. I like the way you think."

"Um…dead body, possible murder in need of solving?" suggested Peyton bluntly.

"Ah, yes well normally there isn't as much activity here as there would be in the fall, but there's still a lot of year round tending needed, since, as all the reviewers and critics say, we are the best in organic, eco-friendly produce. Not a hint of pesticides and all this soil here! Entirely composed of compost!"

"So that explains the smell" said Geoff, not quite the King of Subtlety.

"You think this is bad, try coming here in the summer! He slapped his knee and laughed. "Anyways some of the employees were walking around checking things when they said that they heard something crack under their feet so they checked it out." He showed them to the taped off sector of the field, where small fragments of bones were already exposed.

"They're so small," breathed Geoff as he surveyed the area.

Bridgette kneeled down with one knee on the ground, undeterred by the slight smell, "Looks like a child, female, about early preteens I would put it. The compost and wildlife out here may have increased the rate of decomp; Peyton, get some samples will you?"

"An innocent little girl," Peyton shook his head as he collected samples of the soil, "I'm telling you this job can really punch ya in the heart."

"I don't think there's much we can do here; better have them ship the bones to the Jeffersonian." Bridgette stood and looked out into the distance, nothing but dirt under the blazing sun.

Perry Phillips inched towards the group, pulling on his overall bands "Say, this wouldn't affect my public relations and sales would it? Because if people get wind of the fact that a body's been found at my patch…"

"Well as much as your business takes priority over our murder case" Geoff started sarcastically, 'I can assure you that this federal case will be handled discreetly for the time being."

Perry Phillips merely sighed in relief.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Geoff looked at the scientists who were huddled and hunched over the corpse on the exam table, "So, do we have a COD yet?"

Bridgette grimaced, "Not yet, the damage to the body postmortem is making this difficult. I'll have to wait until they stripped the flesh."

Peyton stood on the side, patiently holding a tray, "Once you guys are done with the preliminary examination, I'll like the victim's clothes, the dirt and bugs may give me an indication of when she was dumped."

Sarah O'Riley, Peyton's sister and foil in nearly everyway, sauntered up the platform, "I took some hair samples to see if we could get some DNA. Found something really strange."

"Strange as in out of the ordinary, or strange as in I-don't-want-to-know-about-it-gross, cause I've found that it means the same thing with you."

Sarah ignored Geoff's comment and continued, "The roots of the hair are raven coloured, the blonde is from oxidized thiols apparent in the hair shaft."

Everyone did a double take. Peyton finally spoke what everyone was thinking, "She bleached her hair? What nine year old does that?"

Maurecia Lee walked towards the group, having just heard the conversation, "Well, that explains why my sketch of a little raven-haired pretty didn't turn up any matches." She showed the group her realistic and slightly depressing drawing of a nine year old girl. "I think I'll go correct the description in the computer and run it against the FBI missing person database again." Maurecia climbed down the platform towards her office, with Sarah following to see if any DNA results have come back yet.

Bridgette nodded, "Right, Peyton, I think you can grab the clothes now, I'll just be having a closer look at the exposed bones."

"Gotcha Dr. B."

Geoff, who looked around and realized that he's the only one not doing anything, spoke, "Right, I think I'll go…phone the guys at the Bureaus see if they can find any records of suspicious activities around the pumpkin patch." Bridgette and Peyton barely acknowledged him, and thus Geoff merely turned around and walked away.

--------------------------------------------------

"DNA results not back yet?" Maurecia Lee's eyes were still focused on her screen, but had correctly known the visitor as Sarah. Geoff was busy sitting in one of her office chairs trying to figure out what the painting on her wall was supposed to be of. As of right now he was torn between an army of moving trees or a cat of some sort.

"No, you know how long these things can take. How's the picture of our Jane Doe doing?"

Maurecia punched her keyboard, and on her giant screen showcased a 3D computer model of the girl, "I've added in the blonde hair and I've been using some of the tissue markers Bridgette gave me, but still…"

Peyton, completely forgetting to knock, barged in, "I've found traces of fragrances, colouring powder and other chemicals found in make-up on the check and eye issue, most likely mascara and blush."

"I guess I'll give little Jane Doe here a makeover," she continued to type, and the image on the screen gradually changed. Peyton, Sarah and Geoff huddled over the computer, obviously not doing much work and not knowing the meaning of a personal bubble.

Finally even Bridgette appeared, quietly entering with a tray with the jaw in it. Noticing the others mesmerized by Maurecia's computer skills she placed the tray on a nearby rolling cart, loudly, to get their attention.

Bridgette huffed, '"False teeth."

"Is that like a code word or something Bridge?" Geoff said, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

His partner shook her head, "I was trying to have a look at the teeth and later give them to odontology, but look," she pushed against one of the teeth and it easily popped out, revealing a smaller tooth, "False teeth replaced her missing baby teeth and what's more her other teeth were veneered."

The group took a moment to pause; "Okay, this is just getting weirder and weirder," Geoff admitted.

"I hate working with kids, given what my job is," Sarah stated.

Maurecia meanwhile was typing in the new information, and finally ended with a model of a girl who looked a bit too old for her age with an up-do hairstyle. A few more clicks and clacks from the keyboard and the screen showed the picture being compared to rapidly changing scans of children file photos from a missing person database.

"I got something!" Maurecia exclaimed rather proudly when the computer finally stopped.

"Oh my God…"

Geoff looked at the gaping mouth of Peyton O'Riley, "what?"

"That's Bianca Mills-Lambton!"

"Who?" Now it was Bridgette's turn to ask.

"That young beauty queen pageant winner who disappeared about two months ago in the middle of the regional finals of the Little Miss Canada Competition," supplied Sarah.

Bridgette squinted at the screen, reading the information, "Only nine years old…the only child of divorced parents, multimillionaire Richard Lambton and socialite…oh God," she took a few small steps away from the computer, "No wonder part of her last name sounded familiar…"

"What is it?" Geoff tried to read the part where Bridgette trailed off, "Holy…is she?"

Bridgette silently nodded, "It's the same person."

Everyone looked at each other, grimacing, none quite sure of what to say.

On the screen, the last part of the sentence was "_The only child of divorced parents-multimillionaire Richard Lambton and socialite Heather Mills_."

-------------------------------

Bet you guys didn't say that one coming did you? And if you did, good job, you must either be really smart or just plain psychic!

As I have a bulk of this already typed out I will be making weekly updates to this thing every Wednesday…hopefully. At the most give or take one or two days. See you guys next Wednesday and review please!


	2. Not Exactly A Happy Reunion

Here's the next in my Weekly Wednesday update!

Ch.2 Not Exactly A Happy Reunion

The drive was long but the view was magnificent. Geoff had to fight to hold in a whistle while he drove his FBI-issued SUV through the rich part of town. Manson after mansion all stood side by side, impossibly green gardens and grass stretched the already spacious properties.

The blonde forensic anthropologist beside Geoff was reading through some files, "It seems Heather married multimillionaire Richard Lambton when she was just twenty-two and had Bianca shortly afterwards. Barely a year later, they divorced and had a series of ugly custody battles and divorce cases. In the end Heather made it off with half the Lambton fortune, Bianca, a quarter of his estates and vehicles, and a third of any profits made by Lambton's company."

"Whoa, I guess she really went all 'Desperate Housewife' on him huh," he chuckled for a bit but then changed the topic in a stern voice, "Bridge, we have to discuss a few things before we reach Heather's place,"

Bridgette turned and faced him, not quite sure how to react, "Okay, discuss what?"

Geoff cleared his throat, already having gone through the conversation in his head. "Well, since Heather wasn't the nicest girl on TDI…"

A slight snort coming from his partner cut him off for a moment.

"But since we're investigating this case, we have to remain impartial, we can't just pin that much suspicion on Heather and have a biased opinion or else my boss is going to kick us off this case. I already had to argue with him about letting us investigate this case"

"Well we can't be so impartial and unbiased in that in the case where Heather is truly suspicion worthy that we disregard the evidence just because we don't want to seem like we're gunning for her." Bridgette countered.

Geoff's brain felt like it was drowning in quicksand, "…okay. You know what? Let's just promise we'll treat this like a regular case okay?" The two reached their destination, a stately, white manor the almost five times bigger than a normal house. The black SUV silently made its way to the golden gate, held on the side by a meter-high granite block walls. Geoff rolled the window and faced the security camera and intercom.

"ID please," a gruff voice came through. Geoff flipped out his FBI badge towards the camera.

"This good enough?" he asked cheekily, "We're here to see Ms. Heather Mills on the matter of her daughter." There was silence on the other line, then a "just a minute."

The golden gates opened slowly and Geoff drove his car up the curved private road.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Ms. Mills is right this way, sir," a formal looking butler of around fifty years lead the two to the back of the mansion where the outdoor pool was located. Beyond it, Bridgette could see a tennis court, a majestic field of grass with a reflecting pool and fountain and a giant life-sized chess board as a lawn decoration. She felt torn between being amused by the outrageousness of it all and the deep wrenching twist in her gut every time they broke the bad news.

Heather Mills was sun bathing by the pool, decked in a designer swimsuit (Bridgette didn't even know such things existed) with sunglasses and a sunlight reflecting sheet. Despite being thirty-one, unnecessary Botox injections had rendered her looking slightly older than she seemed.

The butler quieted cleared his throat, "A Mr. Geoff Murdock of the FBI and a Dr. Bridgette Dodson is here to see you madam."

The socialite barely moved her head up. "Do I know you?"

"Uh, Heather? It's us, Geoff and Bridge from TDI, we were on the Killer Bass team..."

Slowly recognition hit her eyes and the other two could see the cogs working at the back of her head, wondering how she was going to react."Bridgette! Geoff! It's so nice to see you! How long has it been? Fifteen years?" Despite sounding happy, she made no move to get off of her chair and shake their hands, "Alfred, get these two a drink will you?"

"Actually we won't be staying long…" cut in Bridgette. "We came here in regards to your daughter…"

Geoff could've sworn that the only sound that could be heard for the next few seconds were that of a distant bird. Heck, even the water in the pool seemed to have stopped moving. Heather shifted, but only slightly, a sudden change swept through her, like sifting sands. When she spoke again she seemed normal, but Bridgette had seen everything going on in her mind through her eyes.

"My little Bianca? You found her?" This was definitely not the Heather Geoff and Bridgette knew, (and let's face it, hated) from the reality show.

Although Geoff was sorely tempted to say, what's left of her anyways, training restrained him from doing so and thus he merely replied, "We found her body in a pumpkin patch. We're suspecting murder."

"Of course it was murder you idiot! Why else would an innocent little girl disappear and never be seen again for a few months?" Heather looked like she was about to cry, but if life had taught her anything, it was that you always have to maintain control over a situation or people will just walk right over you.

Despite the sorrow she felt as a human being towards the tragedy, Bridgette had a few choice words to tell Heather. It was their job, "Do you remember where you were that night?"

"You people are seriously thinking that I could have killed my own daughter? How in hell did you two become top crime solvers?"

"Actually, filicide is unfortunately common, in fact…" she shook her head, "never mind." She took a deep breath and started again, trying to compose her mile-a-minute thoughts, "realistically, you have to admit that it could happen; as investigators we have to look at every option. It could have been, for all we know accidental…"

"But I loved my daughter," Heather replied testily, "you people should've done some research before you go accusing people of murder!"

Before Geoff could reply, Bridgette started on her slight tirade. "You loved who you turned your daughter into!"

The next few minutes, unsurprisingly, didn't go so well.

"You are exactly the epitome of those mothers who parade their children and try to force them prematurely into an emotionally stunted, beauty obsessed world where they'll grow up to believe that all it takes to be successful are fake concern for the world, unnecessary surgeries and large breasts!"

That last part made Geoff do a double-take in the midst of him trying to get a word in edgewise.

Heather, who was way past the point of being calm and collected had stood up and shouted, "You two better leave and go do you actual jobs and find out who killed my baby girl; and the next time you think of accusing me again I swear I will have an armada of lawyers at hand." She pointed to the exit where her butler was standing, trying to hide his amusement.

-----------------------------------------

Back in the car Bridgette and Geoff were thinking, or rather, Bridgette was thinking, still on her slightly high horse and Geoff was worrying out loud about how things went.

"When she said armada of lawyers, she was kidding right?" Geoff said nervously, while avoiding being the cause of a horrible driving accident, "Because Leshawna is not going to be happy if highly paid lawyers, working for Heather no less, will be thrown into the case."

"You think I was too harsh?" The question jarred out like a beaver in the arctic. "I mean, Heather did loose her child and…"

"Hey, it's okay," turning to face her, he saw the skeptical look in her eyes, "well, it wasn't okay, but you know, Heather was always so harsh on people's mellow. I mean she called you fat if I remember correctly…So yeah, let's just say your anger got the better of you." He was thinking of mentioning how hot she looked getting riled up but after considering for his well-being he decided against it.

"It's not just that," she looked out the window, the scenery blurring by, "When I was still in university I did a paper on the impact of beauty pageants and shows of the like."

"I bet it was a real best seller,"

"I got the top mark in my class!"

"…of course it did."

"Anyways, it was horrible how obsessed people are with those things. Failure at winning could literally ruin an entire family!" She paused; hand on chin in reflection, "I mean, it was more so on the pets and dog shows but the principle is more or less the same right?"

Unsure what to say, Geoff took one hand off the steering wheel and patted her hand, smiled and nodded, "Sure…"

----------------------------------------

"So Dr. B, I heard you chewed out the Heather Mills this afternoon, might I say, it's about damn time!" Maurecia playfully slammed her fist on the glass table of the Jeffersonian longue while Peyton, who was beside her, whistled jovially.

Bridgette put down her fork, obviously not going to be finishing her salad in peace "Does everyone know about the incident?"

"Well, considering Geoff talked to district attorney Leshawna about Heather having a flotilla of lawyers and then Leshawna yelling and ranting about it at the FBI headquarters and everybody hearing, yeah, that's a good assumption."

It was Sarah who finally entered the conversation, "Actually I heard that Heather said armada of lawyers."

Bridgette gave up, and leaned against the railings of the longue, looking down at the medical platform where Bianca Mills' remains used to be placed. She sighed, "So, what do we have so far?"

Sarah took out a red folder and strewed the glass table with glossy photos. Peyton, lifting his coffee cup to avoid spilling started, having read Bridgette's notes on the skeleton, "We know that the cause of death now is blunt force trauma first to the left side of the head," he pointed to a picture of the crack on the skull with massive radiating fractures, "and the angle of the head turning caused her neck to break at the cervical vertebrae between the C4 axis and the C7." He took a sip, giving the floor to Bridgette, who walked around the table at a leisurely pace, mulling something over.

"There are minute fractures along some of the arm, legs and rib bones, but they seem so random and out of nowhere…"

"Maybe she was beaten before she was killed?"

"No, they were postmortem, and the fractures indicate that the force wasn't very strong. I'm thinking her body was pushed against something very hard."

"Well, I'll check and see if I can tell what it is. But for the while the only particles I've found were the dirt and compost from the farm," Peyton, elbow on table and head in hand asked, "So what do we do know?"

Bridgette looked at the group, "You just keep doing what you guys usually do. Maurecia, we'll have the security tapes from the night Bianca disappeared tonight for you to analyze. I will be going home to change into something," she paused, looking for the right word, "nice."

Maurecia's interest was sparked, straightening out in her chair she asked, "Why?"

Bridgette checked her watch, "I'll explain later, let's just say I'll be doing some slight undercover work." With that, she jogged down the stairs.

---------------------------------------------

Read and review! Happy Canada Day to fellow Canadians and an early Forth of July to you Americans!


	3. Blending In The Crowd

Ch.3 Blending in the Crowd

"So, working on the case of Heather's daughter, huh?"

Bridgette froze mid-step and looked at her current roommate, Gwen, "How did you know?"

Gwen shrugged, "It was on the morning news that they found the body, I just assumed. Talked to Heather yet?"

Bridgette thought back to how horrible it had been; it must have shown on her face as the next thing she knew she heard Gwen comment, "Not good huh?"

"You can say that," she walked briskly into her room, but the conversation still continued.

"I think I've finally found the perfect place to live in, there's an open house this afternoon, wanna join?" Gwen thumbed through her house hunting magazine, waiting for a response.

"I'm sorry but I can't" came Bridgette's voice from her room, "Geoff and I are going someplace."

Gwen smiled, "Finally giving the old lug a second chance at the dating thing, right?" The latest she had heard about their relationship progress was after New Years, when she got back from the Murdock family Christmas Bonanza and said that she and Geoff were considering the prospect of dating again. The subject was dropped after a while, as there were murderers to catch and work to do afterwards. Gwen's reverie was shaken when Bridgette finally answered.

"No, I mean we're still thinking about it and waiting for both our schedules to clear up, but this is case related." She came out in shirts and pants with spring pastel colours, "Leshawna said that pageant parents were…"

"Repugnant?" suggested Gwen.

"…no, trigger-happy when it comes to lawyers, I think was her wording. Anyways, she said that in order to not sound alarm bells with the whole community of rich parents, Geoff and I should go to the Little North America Princess competition casually. You know, rub elbows with the competitors and all the people involved in it before flashing the badge. It's located in the same place the Little Miss Canada pageant was held, the one where Bianca disappeared. Geoff's picking me up here in five minutes. He was questioning the father after he dropped me off at the Jeffersonian."

Gwen raised one eyebrow, "Sounds like a good plan, in theory."

Bridgette checked herself in a hallway mirror, "Well, theory's all we got right now, so wish us luck."

------------------------------

"Look at all this pink!" Geoff whistled, a little bit too impressed, as he and Bridgette strolled into the room where the competition would take place. Wonder Falls Hotel, situated in the middle of a finely kept English garden was expensive, high class and refined, exactly the place where pageants should be held. Max Steiner's Theme from A Summer Place was flowing softly from the speakers and soon Bridgette was sure it was going to get stuck in her head. She turned her head towards Geoff.

"No luck with the father, huh?" Geoff had recently gone to the Eagle Springs Country Club for a nice chit-chat with Robert Lambton, Heather's ex and Bianca's daughter.

"No, the guy doesn't even seem to care. He has a strong swing for his golfing though," Geoff contemplated how Robert's nine iron almost gave him an instant lobotomy, but quickly shook his head. "You think we can sneak backstage to have a look?"

His partner looked around and replied, "I don't think so, we don't have a kid nor are we reporters so that might raise a few questions." She squinted and then blinked, and squinted again to see if her sight was alright, "Geoff, does that look like Lindsay and Tyler to you?" She pointed and Geoff turned his head to follow the direction of her hand.

Standing together by the large French glass doors was a couple. They looked just slightly too young to be apart of the other Botox obsessed parental crowd, but they still had the same high-end fashions and looks. The woman of the two, a blonde in a pressed, gleaming white tennis shirt, knee length skirt and a pink sweater tied around her neck spoke to the other, a brown-haired man with a little too much gel with an athletic build and almost matching outfit, except for the yellow shorts and a green sweater around his neck instead.

"That does look like Lindsay and Tyler! Let's go say hi!" Geoff dragged a slightly reluctant Bridgette over to the couple, stopping in front of them by a large stone, decorative pillar. "Lindsay, Tyler, is that you? Remember us from TDI?"

Tyler nodded, opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by his wife.

"Oh my God! It's George and Betty!" Lindsay squealed and ran up to hug them.

"Actually it's Geoff and Bridgette," Bridgette broke free from Lindsay's surprisingly strong grip and noticed the wedding rings on the two's hands, "So, tied the knot?"

Lindsay nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! Oh, I wish you guys could've been at the wedding! It was so romantic!" She swung one arm over Tyler's shoulders and placed her other hand across his chest, "And Tyler looked just the cutest!" The couple kissed and before things got out of hand, and awkward for the other party, Geoff coughed.

"Well, congratz you guys. Tyler, saw you on TV on the sports channel. Sports commentator job doing you any good?"

Lindsay broke off the kiss, much to the disappointment of Tyler, still he replied, "Totally, I mean, I would prefer to be actually on the field playing but it's a good life." Obviously, with Tyler's huge checks from home and Lindsay's daddy's money, the two had wads of cash to spare. "So which kid is yours?" He nodded his head towards a group of little girls practicing on stage.

It took a moment for the question to make sense and then came a flurry of flustered answers.

"Oh no…" started Geoff.

"We don't have any kids," stated Bridgette.

"Heck, we're not even married! See no rings!"

"We just came by because of Heather's daughter…"

"Oh yeah that. It was so sad. I wanted to console Heather, but I figured she wouldn't want any from us."

"So you still keep in contact with Heather?" Geoff asked.

Lindsay thought for a moment, much to the amazement of Bridgette and Geoff, "Well, kinda. We don't talk to her a lot since she was so mean on TDI and TDA; however my sister, Paula, has a daughter in these pageants so we sometimes see each other."

Tyler nodded, and quickly added, "That's why we're here. Paula's usually away in some exotic location so we look after Catherine, Lindsay's niece, sometimes. You want us to take you back stage and meet her? She knew Bianca better than we did."

The two investigators jumped at the chance, and quickly followed; for once not being the ones in charge.

-------------------------------------

Back stage looked exactly how back stages usually looked, chaotic with lots of vanity mirrors and benches, dressing room doors and clothes hangers holding onto clothes so full of sparkles it could blind you under the right lighting. The beige colour of the walls looked so bland in contrast to the contestants in their costumes, their faces accented by the lights.

Walking around Bridgette started becoming hypersensitive to her surroundings, partly because she had to investigate the place, and partly because she didn't want to be trampled by the onslaught of kids and mothers who were screaming for decent make-up supplies or better lighting. The group finally stopped by one of the vanity mirrors and bench, one, Bridgette noticed, which had a crack on the glass covering the desk surface.

"Geoff, Bridgette, this is Catherine, our niece. Catherine, this is Geoff and Bridgette, old friends from TDI and investigators in Bianca's death."

"Hey, Tyler, buddy," Geoff fiddled nervously with his tie, "can you not say that so loud? We want to keep it on the down low for a while."

"Sure. Catherine, you aunt and I will be at the buffet, Geoff and Bridgette are just going to ask a few questions and stuff okay. Be a good girl." The two walked off, leaving Bridgette and Geoff unsure what to do.

Catherine, however, seemed unfazed with her aunt an uncle's actions, "So, you're here to talk about Bianca's death."

Bridgette knelt down, and said softly, "Unfortunately yes. Were you friends with her?"

"Unfortunately, yes," she replied echoing Bridgette's words. Seeing the looks of confusion, she explained, "Bianca was very mean, she teased us, bullied us and stole stuff from us too. But you had to be friends with her, cause she always won these things."

Bridgette moved closer to Geoff and murmured, "What did I tell you. These pageants are forcing these girls into a Darwinian chain of power structure that should be long dead in a society as advanced as ours."

Not understanding a word she said, Geoff continued asking questions, "So Catherine, noticed anything strange the night Bianca disappeared?"

She shrugged, "Eh, not really, although Bianca and her mom were arguing pretty loudly by the stairs. They stomped off is opposite directions and we never saw Bianca again." She smiled, "I won second place that night, though if Bianca was there I would've been third. Afterwards my big brother Ryan came and drove me home." She noticed the time on the wall clock, "I'm sorry, but I have to go meet my aunt and uncle at the buffet. They have the best fried shrimp here. You can call them if you want to talk to me again."

Geoff watched the little girl walk off and rubbed his chin with one hand, "Fried shrimp huh? Bridge, you go make friends with some other contestants, I'll go investigate at the buffet." He proceeded to walk but was stopped by Bridgette grabbing a fistful of the back of his shirt.

"Come on Geoff, we have to go back to the lab and see if they've found anything yet. Plus, we have to talk to Heather about the fight. We'll come back tomorrow." She browsed through the pageant schedule, "The competition's at the end of this week so we have enough time to come back."

"But…the shrimp…"

---------------------------------------------------

Exiting through the backdoor, Geoff got off his cell phone.

"Maurecia got the surveillance footage. It's true, Heather and Bianca had a little spat near the grand stair case during the interlude of the pageant. I guess we have to…" he paused and stared at the sight of a scruffy looking young man trying to fit himself through a window. His pants we muddy and his hair was all over his head. Amused by the sight for a bit more he finally took out his badge and yelled. "Freeze, FBI!"

The man plopped himself out from the window, and bolted.

---------------------------------------

Getting a bit stingy on the reviews, I've noticed. Maybe I should start holding my chapters hostage in exchange of reviews... (Yeah, that's me not so subtly asking for more comments) Next chapter will be up on Wednesda. I'm also working on some of my own original stuff and wroking through my summer Physics class.


	4. Boxed In

Ch. 4 Boxed In

"I hate it when they run." Geoff started, followed by Bridgette who was stopped.

"Bridge, go through the kitchen and cut him off by the door." She nodded and ran back in.

----------------------------------

For a guy who had a hard time climbing over into a window, he ran fast. Turning a corner, he skidded to an abrupt halt when Bridgette came through the kitchen door. Waving a vegetable knife she snatched from the counter, she said, 'Stop! Or I'll….do something really bad to you…with this knife!" Clearly, she was prepared in case the man was armed… and that she was very bad at impromptu threats.

Geoff finally caught up, gasping slightly as he took out a pair of handcuffs.

The man raised both his hands in surrender, "Whoa! I didn't do anything wrong here man! I was trying to find my sister, Catherine, but the hotel staff kept booting me out because of my dirty clothes."

"So that entitled you to break in?" Bridgette paused, "Wait, Catherine? So you're Ryan?"

Ryan nodded, "Yeah, how'd you know who I was?"

Geoff hesitated in putting go the cuffs, "Yeah, we had a chat with her and your uncle and aunt, regarding Bianca's disappearance. You know anything about it?"

Ryan straightened out his jacket and responded, wide-eyed, "No, of course not. I only heard about it after I picked up Cat from the pageant. Listen, can we kept this little incident to ourselves? I'm already in enough trouble usually and I promise I won't break in again."

Geoff stared at Bridgette, who merely stared at him in return, not quite sure what to do. He sighed and released him, "Sure, but why are you so muddy?"

"Oh I volunteer in local community gardens and stuff like that."

"Well…that's good, we need more people like that. Come on Bridge, I'll drive you to the lab and then I'll question Heather." He saw that she was about to protest, and thus quickly added, "We don't want what happened earlier to happen again right?"

Bridgette agreed, albeit reluctantly.

----------------------------------------

"So Geoff made you sit this one out huh?" Peyton joked as he walked across the platform.

"Is there anything important you wanted to show me or are you just clowning around," bite back Bridgette testily.

Deciding not to aggravate her even more, he got serious, "Unfortunately most of the insects and soil found on the clothes were from the pumpkin patch. However, upon closer examination I found traces of carpet on the clothes."

"Brand and colour?" interrupted Bridgette.

"I haven't found the brand or type yet, however I can tell you that it's between algae green and light blue."

"That's the same colour as the carpet back stage. So she was dragged then?"

"That could be true, however there seems to be some flaws. If she was dragged from the Wonder Falls Hotel and transported to the patch then she should have traces of asphalt or cement from the parking lot, assuming Bianca had to be dragged outside which most likely she had to. Even if the killer picked the body up and carried her once outside then that doesn't make sense as then why would Bianca had to be dragged out of back stage?"

Bridgette thought for a while, she still wasn't sure she was killed back stage in the first place but something kept nagging at her in her head.

"Hey Doc," Maurecia came up, clipboard in hand, "I think I solved the problem regarding the random fractures."

Bridgette turned around, impressed, "You did?"

"Yeah, I took your measurements and ran them through the simulator. I think I have the scenario pretty made out." She walked towards the computer room, followed swiftly by Bridgette and Peyton.

--------------------------------------

"And what I am doing in here?" Heather asked coldly, staring across the table in the FBI interrogation room towards Geoff. Sitting beside her was, unsurprisingly, a greasy looking lawyer.

"Aren't you supposed to be looking for whoever killed my daughter?" The lawyer whispered something in her ear and Heather remained silent.

"Agent Murdock, if you have no evidence tying my client to the disappearance and subsequent murder of Bianca Mills-Lambton, then we can sue you for police brutality."

Geoff did not like the slick way the lawyer jabbed at him. He pulled out a file, and spread the contents across the table; high resolution screenshots from the surveillance tape.

"Miss. Mills, care to explain these?" He pointed repeatedly at the photos of the argument between mother and daughter.

Heather stiffened; her brain and her lawyer's brain stifled by the turn of events.

"We just had a tiny argument about her wardrobe. I wanted her to wear a nice, modest but still stylish sequined dress for the talent segment. She wanted to wear a red cocktail dress with feather head gear. That argument seems so silly now."

"And what happened after?" Geoff leaned back on his chair, tapping his hands together.

"We split up, I had no idea where she went but I went to the hotel bar for vodka on the rocks. You can ask the bartender and I can give you a list of all the other parents there."

"So there were other parents getting drunk while their kids were off doing who knows what?" Geoff couldn't stop himself and cursed Bridgette slightly for influencing him so much.

"Hey, these pageants can be tough not only on the children but on us too," Heather stood up and leaned forward.

"Agent Murdock, your comment had nothing important to do with the investigation and I can claim it as harassment against her parenting." The lawyer stood also, but only to calm his client down.

However, the calm train had left the station permanently, "I only did what my girl wanted to be happy. She was popular and on the top of the world! You have no idea what it's like to be unpopular do you? Well I did, and I didn't want her to suffer the same way I did before I became pretty. If that's bad parenting then you can go and stuff that cowboy hat of your up your-"

"Miss Mills is not in the state of mind to talk right now and she has a solid alibi. So unless you want to make an unlawful arrest we will be going now." The lawyer dragged Heather out of the room, before she said or did something that could have her rightfully thrown in jail.

-----------------------------------------------

The scientists were all standing, including Maurecia who was setting up the hologram projector. She typed something quick into her computer and proceeded to walk around, remote in hand.

"Okay, so I've created a 3D reenactment of what may have happened," she pressed a button on the remote and millions of pixels started to form, solidifying into a neck and skull covered with translucent flesh.

"Now, we know that she was pushed from the standing position, fell and hit her head on a hard surface," the holographic skull fell onto a vague looking table, fracturing in various places, "crack goes the cranium and snap goes the neck. We're not exactly sure what killed her, the crack or the snap but most likely the crack. As we only have a rough estimate of the range of height the surface is, we can't ascertain correctly how far she was from the surface." Maurecia pushed another button, and the image shattered and reformed into the complete skeleton.

"Due to the whole contradicting dragging versus carrying scenario I'll skip that part; however, I added in the measurements and markers for the random fractures on the skeleton." Another button and fractures appeared.

"So with these arrangements I simply configured the skeleton digitally the fractures lined up or showed a pattern. What I found was this:"

The skeleton started to move, twist and bend, until it formed a shape.

"A box?" Sarah asked squinting.

Maurecia nodded, "A box, or more specifically, a rectangular box of approximately one meter by fifty centimeters."

"Bianca was at least one meter fifty centimeters tall, so the killer had to…uh, stuff her body in there…"

Bridgette's eyes widened, "which explains the fractures! I have to call Geoff, more likely than not, the killer would have tried to get rid of the truck box nearby the farm to get rid of evidence."

Geoff stared at the door where the two had gone out, then at the picture. He dropped his head, hard, onto the table; it was still there when he felt his phone vibrate. Sitting up, he took it out.

"Agent Murdock."

----------------------------------------------------------

It was dark by the time all the technicians returned to Phillips Pharms with all the equipment and search dogs.

"Ugh, damn mosquitoes," Geoff quickly slapped his neck, surprisingly envious of the blue Jeffersonian jumpsuit clad Bridgette. Of all the things he could be doing, he was back in the farm being insect food, and to make matters worse, there was a game on tonight.

"Phillips said that they usually use local volunteers and the occasional employees to supervise and tend the fields all year round, especially in the spring and summer season." She continued walking around the forested edge of the field, flashlight in hand as the others set up the big search lights.

Geoff huffed, breath showing due to the cool summer air, "and even though there's a schedule anyone can still come and go as they please-no cameras and the only barrier is that chain in the entrance. Face it Bridge, we have nothing."

A young intern came up to the two, obviously intimidated (although a ruffled kitten could've spooked him) "Uh, Agent Murdock, no signs of anything strange in the sheds." He pointed to the line of small wooden shacks, their red paint clearly peeling.

"That's fine," Geoff waved a hand, signaling the intern to go away. He turned to face his partner when he heard the rustling coming from Bridgette moving through the bushes.

"Whoa, Bridge, careful in there. It's pretty dark, even with the flashlight," He continued speaking while blindly pushing low lying branches out of his way. He finally stopped when he bumped into Bridgette, who was bent over looking a something.

"My flashlight shined on something," she explained as Geoff balanced himself again. She moved over to the tangled mess of exposed roots, grasses and bushes. Flashlight in mouth while Geoff held his over her for lighting, her hands grasped onto something that was forced into the soil and natural wooden crevices of the tree with considerable amount of strength.

"Here, let me," Geoff, clearly relishing the chance to show off his strength, gently pushed her aside and pulled.

Bridgette gasped, 'I think we found it."

There, like something that came back from the dead, was a large metallic box with a ridged external pattern.

-----------------------------------------------------------

I believe that I have one or two more chapters to go, so better start looking for the clues Ileft lying here! There's also one that actually pretty vital in the previous chap, but I have a feeling most of you guys won't remember it.


	5. Not One But Two

Not One, But Two

"A truck chest, of course!" Peyton jogged into Bridgette's office, where the two investigators were having an early start on their paperwork. Geoff, welcomed the interruption, as the last half hour was spent looking over Bridgette's report, complete with mind numbingly long forensic jargon.

"A what?" Bridgette looked up from her desk, pen in hand.

"You know, those large metallic boxes you can attach to pick-up trucks for better organized storage? Apparently this is a Delta Pro, aluminum chest suited for a Ford pick-up." He walked out into the lab, followed by Bridgette and Geoff, "The box was most likely used to carry the same compost and soil that are used in the fields. That would explain why there weren't any other trace elements on the victim's clothing besides the carpet and the soil."

"So most likely the murderer was someone who worked or volunteered at the fields." Bridgette surmised, drumming her gloved fingers lightly on the truck chest.

Geoff looked at the chest, "Makes sense, the person must've known that the compost would cause the body to decompose quicker. He knew his way around the area; why else would the killer drive all the way from the hotel to the fields."

"So the killer knows about the field and worked there for long enough to have a truck chest to carry compost." Bridgette murmured, mostly to herself. She looked up with a determined face.

"I think I know who did it."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, I admit it, I killed Bianca Mills and buried her at Phillips Pharms," Ryan Clark exclaimed exasperatedly across the table at the FBI headquarters.

"I didn't think it would be that easy." Geoff whispered to his partner who was sitting beside him. Bridgette however, looked curiously at the boy as if something didn't add up.

"I saw that Bianca Mills tease and push around Catherine every time I pick her up and I guess I just blew up. In a rage I took this plank of wood and hit her in the head."

"Geoff," she leaned over to the FBI agent, "That doesn't match the evidence. Given Ryan's height and body structure if he were to have hit Bianca like that the damage to her skull would've been much more severe."

"But we searched his truck, it's a match."

Suddenly Bridgette turned towards Ryan, "We know you're taking the fall for someone Ryan."

Feeling like his investigation was somehow snatched right under him, Geoff looked at Ryan with a hard stern face, or at least as stern as someone like Geoff could. "Lying to an officer is a serious offense. Now, tell me who killed Bianca Mills!" He stood up, looking rather intimidating for such an easygoing man.

"But I did do it, no one else was there!" Ryan dropped his head in his palms. Bridgette tilted her head, moved to his side of the table, squatted slightly and gently rubbed his back.

"We know you're doing this to protect someone, but lying isn't going to help the situation. Just please, tell us who did it."

Ryan remained silent and Geoff slumped back in his chair, his huff of breath coming out in sync with his back touching his chair, "Well that's a bust. Why would you want to ruin your whole life for someone else?" he gave a quizzical look to the young man, who tried to do whatever possible to avoid his eyes.

Bridgette stood up slowly, looking at the hunched over figure that was Ryan, thinking intently. Something kept trying to make its way to the tip of her tongue; she went over every little thing that had happened over the last few days and suddenly, an epiphany.

She turned over to Geoff, sulking in his seat, softly, almost imperceptibly, she said, "I know who did it."

"Oh God," gasped Ryan through tears when he realized that she knew.

------------------------------------------------------

"_I'm keeping up, keeping up with the time lapse lifeline  
And they can run they can run from the fonts to the last rites"_

Catherine Clark was in the living room, busy putting on her outfit for the pageant finals tonight. She looked up at the full body mirror and saw behind her the solemn faces of Dr. Bridgette Dodson and Agent Geoff Murdock standing in the doorway. She stilled and when she finally turned, tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

"_And we can hear we can hear the first beat to the flat line  
I'm keeping up, keeping up with the time lapse lifeline  
And once it's done"_

Tyler was off to the side holding and stroking the back of his crying wife, her arms were flung around his neck, her hand still holding on to the piece of paper that served a devastating blow. Both weren't sure how to react to this situation.

Neither did Bridgette and Geoff who were torn between their sense of civic duty and their sympathy. The little girl slowly walked to towards the couple on the opposite side of the room, trying to hold back tears and starting to fail. Finally, Bridgette made up her mind, took several long purposeful strides and hugged the girl who started crying.

No words were spoken throughout these events. No words were needed.

_  
"I get up I get up  
Stop, fast-forward, rewind"_

"Bianca was teasing me again back stage during intermission, saying I was ugly and the reason my mom and dad weren't around was that they didn't want me." She sobbed, wetting the shoulder of Bridgette's jacket. Bridgette held her tighter. "Everyone else was in the main hall. I pushed her but when she fell her head smacked in to the table. The glass cracked and she started bleeding." The investigators already knew it. Bridgette had remembered the cracked vanity table and the forensic technicians discovered blood with the black light. "I didn't know what to do, my brother Ryan arrived and saw the whole thing. He said he'll take care of it. I didn't mean to do it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it, really!" She resumed crying; muttering sorry and I didn't mean it in a continuous loop.

"_Still we stand with the help of a steady hand  
Capture images of boy and man  
Till it's done"_

Bridgette, who had started crying as well, jumped slightly when she felt Geoff run his hand over her back and threaded through her hair. Both the girl and the woman looked up and let each other go. Geoff held out his hand and Catherine, with a knowing face took it.

"_And 7 years combined is just a flicker of a neon sign  
Little negatives of hopes refined  
Till they're done, oh they're done"_

Outside, Ryan, handcuffed and in the back of a police cruiser saw the two detectives, one holding onto his sister, make their way quietly out the door, followed his shocked aunt and uncle. As the group passed the cruiser towards another car, he caught his little princess' eyes and they stared as she walked, she soon having to turn away as the distance between them increased. Resigned he let his head fall sideways, hitting the glass.

"_Oh we dreamed a life  
It was just like that, was like that  
And just like that, and just like that it's done"_

-----------------------------------------------

Here it is, chapter five, a little late but here it is.

I had a bit of trouble writing this scene as I wasn't sure how to present all the emotion and tension in it. So I hope I did a good enough job.

The lyrics in italics are the song "Time Lapse Lifeline" by Maria Taylor. I heard it on Bones and been loved it since. I even found that some of the lyrics kinda matches the scene.

Next chapter is the final one. Kinda an epilogue which will hopefully tie everything up.

Read and review please


End file.
